Bruce Arians Tips His Hand On Jason Pierre-Paul, Free Agency
January 11th, 2019
Joe’s pronouncing chatter on two Bucs topics officially dead right now, courtesy of the candid words of new head coach Bucco Bruce Arians.
With a smile in his voice and perhaps holding back a cuss word, Arians assured WDAE-AM 620 listeners that Jason Pierre-Paul is his kind of guy.
“I know this; we tried to get Jason Pierre-Paul really, really hard in Arizona. He fit our defense well,” Arians said.
That statement came during a chatter about what kind of defense the Bucs will play. Arians again stressed an aggressive defense that would vary, but would be in nickel “70 percent” of the time anyway.
Asked after the JPP comment about Gerald McCoy, Arians said No. 93 would be evaluated with the rest of the roster. Hardly a JPP-like endorsement.
Talking about opening the Team Glazer vault in March, Arians noted, “We’ll be active in free agency” and that the salary cap is going up.
Yes, JPP will be here in 2019, along with a pile of new bodies bought on the open market.
January 11th, 2019 at 4:34 pm
GMC, restructure or pack up the batcave!!!!!
#GO BUCS!!!!
January 11th, 2019 at 4:35 pm
Geraldine McBooty!..(pause)…. “You’re Fired”!
January 11th, 2019 at 4:35 pm
Clowney… open the vault
January 11th, 2019 at 4:35 pm
“Hard a JPP-like endorsement”?
Do you mean “Not a JPP-like endorsment”?
Anyway, I don’t think GMC will or should be here next season. The Bucs need a tougher mentality to lead the D.
January 11th, 2019 at 4:38 pm
Brent Grimes is gone, D-Jax is gone, salary cap goes up every single year.
I know GMC invokes many strong opinions but if you get rid of him DT is a massive hole yet again this offseason. Yeah we could save money getting rid of him but who do you replace him with?
January 11th, 2019 at 4:39 pm
Yeah it’s time for Gerald and Bucs to separate. We need a new culture and nothing against Gerald because he is a great guy and a darn good player, but all he knows is losing anymore.
His salary now exceeds his impact so yeah if he won’t restructure for around half, he has got to go.
January 11th, 2019 at 4:46 pm
Cap space…Bucs are 28 out of 32 with 17.5 mil available
Colts are 1 out of 32 with 123 mil available…blah..blah..blah…I know some can be freed up but this year the team is on a strict budget….Cap purgatory after Licht’s wiffs…it’ll be interesting for sure….the stat above is probably the single biggest factor in McCoy going elsewhere
January 11th, 2019 at 4:50 pm
Petty Officer, you can’t talk sense into the GMC bashers. They don’t have a plan in mind to replace him. I think they would be happy if the team released him and we only had 10 guys play defense and no DT whatsoever. The team will probably try and restructure for a lower amount. If they can keep him in the fold for less they can address other areas of need for less money.
January 11th, 2019 at 4:50 pm
What do you guys mean if he won’t restructure ? This guy is getting tossed overdead in the water of Tampa Bay ! He is a joke & Bruce knows it !
January 11th, 2019 at 4:51 pm
JPP is a Bucs next year no doubt and I believe unless McCoy agrees to restructure he will be released or traded.
January 11th, 2019 at 4:54 pm
Petty Officer Buc Says:
“I know GMC invokes many strong opinions but if you get rid of him DT is a massive hole yet again this offseason.”
That depends on how much 3-4 we see. He won’t even play in a 3-4 unless he moves outside…and we’re suddenly finding ourselves with good talent on the outside already. We’d still need him in the other packages though.
DJax, and Grimes gone. GMC should restructure or be traded…or both.
January 11th, 2019 at 4:57 pm
Lmao ! A plan in place to replace gmc ? Are you kidding me right now ? There’s guys like Sheldon Rankins every year in drafts , how about going out and getting any serviceable down lineman to replace him at 3 mil ? That’s as much production and or wins as you are seeing with this butthurt clown and who knows might get lucky and find a diamond in the ruff ole Bruce was talking about ! Then what ? All you will be saying boy we never would have found so and so if it had not been for us getting rid of mcsoftie pants !
January 11th, 2019 at 4:57 pm
Stay or not GMC is not the leader of this defense. He won’t even be the leader of the DL after JPP’s 2018.
BA’s staff will work this out. IF GMC is here that means BA’s people believe they can fix him and any attitude issues.
January 11th, 2019 at 5:03 pm
Read a article that Leonard Williams is going to be a Cap causality with the Jets.
The Bowles Connection and possible need at position is intriguing.
Imagine a beefed up back end with PP and Badger both of whom Coach covets. According to JC it’s mutual.
And a new look line with Williams added.
January 11th, 2019 at 5:04 pm
have to renegotiate GMC in half to keep him and we should and he should…you heard the man, its an ATTACK defense
Call GMC what you want, I called him a one trick pony many times…but that one trick is immensely valuable in an ATTACK scheme
quick penetration in the QB’s face forcing him to one side or the other cuts the field in half and allows outside pressure to get there or at least reach the ball, jar it loose whatever
PRESSURE REQUIRES SPEED and there not many that are faster out the block than good old GMC
January 11th, 2019 at 5:05 pm
Oh the point of the article…yeah, BA aint letting a real NFL stud leave the building, JPP is here as long as he wants to be
January 11th, 2019 at 5:07 pm
Clw JB Says
“have to renegotiate GMC in half to keep him and we should and he should”
No freaking way. At most, he will be reduced by a third…which will move him from $12m to $8m.
$8m is more than fair. JPP would be making $2m more.
January 11th, 2019 at 5:10 pm
I want Tyrann Mathieu in our secondary, playing for the coaches that made him look like a defensive MVP at times. he’s not the hot commodity he once was, and safeties don’t break the bank, he would be a nice addition to the team on the field and in the locker room
January 11th, 2019 at 5:11 pm
I am now praying for a draft day trade to pick up Patrick Peterson. Work some magic Licht, maybe we could even throw in McCoy and picks, although I hope McCoy sticks around with a restructured deal. Also , I am curious why Buckner wasn’t an instant hire for B.A. Kinda makes me wonder what the issue is on that end, if anyone has any input on the reason for Buckner not being retained as of yet. Thx…GO BUCS!!!
January 11th, 2019 at 5:12 pm
How come everything is just getting repeated over and over and over and over again? Groundhog Day on here until the Draft? Sigh…
January 11th, 2019 at 5:14 pm
Probably doomed himself by not wanting to play 3-4 for other coaches, something that probably doesn’t sit well with Arians. Sure he wants players that will do whatever is asked which is why d jack won’t be here either. With this type of coach I’d be all for a restructured contract since he ain’t getting the sacks anyway but Geraldine might discover he likes a 3-4 if he had only tried it. It would also hide the fact that he’s not productive it can’t have a guy who loves to arm tackle lining up in that defense especially one who gets pushed around as much as him. I think vea in the middle with JPP and even Gholston on the ends would work better than Geraldine
January 11th, 2019 at 5:16 pm
Can’t wait to watch JPP next year. I think he can be more dominate next year. He is the Lead Dog and if he gets a lil wolf pack to join him it could be a season for the ages!!!
JPP can build this Line & Defense. He just may be our modern day Hardy Nickerson.
January 11th, 2019 at 5:21 pm
He also said we’ll see how much we spend byt we’ll be looking at some guys.
Hard to guage whats going to happen. I would agree mccoy is likely gone
January 11th, 2019 at 5:24 pm
Let’s face it geltlemen. McCoy does not fit with this current Dline.
They have been trying to build a 4-man front around McCoy since he been here…….until last off-season. The line was led by JPP, Nassib and VitaV. All 3 play the same style and attack with physicality. McCoy is a misfit in this reguadr. He is a finesse player. It’s just not his thing.
You can even look at the other 2 players Licht got….V. Curry and B. Allen. Neither had good seasons but neither was brought in to play on a finesse line. They were brought in to play on a physical attacking line.
McCoy just doesn’t fit. They have finally stopped building around him. That era of Bucs Ball is ancient history IMO.
January 11th, 2019 at 5:27 pm
GMC will be evaluated like everyone else… translation, GET THIS SOFT ARSE COMIC BOOK LOVING LITTLE GIRLIE MAN OFF MY MOTHER F…ING TEAM!
January 11th, 2019 at 5:35 pm
Something tells me JPP may be the ONLY Buc not named Winston that is safe.
During these evaluations if BA or TB see something they do not like………
Calls Jason ” cut / waive / release ________________, get me a DT, CB , RT, LT etc.”
January 11th, 2019 at 5:43 pm
To me the most questionable guy we have is Adam Humphries.
That really seems like the toughest decision this team needs to make. Saying that under the assumption that Kwon is undoubtly a BA guy.
January 11th, 2019 at 5:45 pm
D. Smith is probably tougher. I’ll correct myself.
January 11th, 2019 at 5:54 pm
Rudy Humphries is a beast. He ain’t going n e where . No questions
January 11th, 2019 at 6:10 pm
Joe, do you know anyone in the local pen-and-mic club that has spoken with Gerald since Bucco Bruce was hired? I just wonder what kind of feel they may have gotten from Gerald regarding the new regime. Not that it matters to me, I am fully behind the new hires, but it might give us some insight as to whether he wants to continue here. I have a little different take on Gerald that a lot of posters here. I think he does play with pride and is frustrated by all the losing. I suspect if he really believes the culture will change and he still has a chance to win a championship, he would be all in.
January 11th, 2019 at 6:22 pm
Old School Athlete admitt it. You just wanna see Gerald on T.V. Channel 8 one last time before he leaves TB.
I’ll be recording it on my DVR for safekeeping. My perfect fit for McCoy is easily in Gotham City. Playing for the dreaded Giants. He would look really good in blue.
January 11th, 2019 at 6:30 pm
Interesting comment by Arians because his defensive coordinator after Bowles left him. James Bettcher, is the same DC that decided he had no use for him with the Giants.
January 11th, 2019 at 6:40 pm
@Coach Arians … “We’ll be active in free agency.” Doesn’t that statement by BA pretty much say it all? To me it says ‘We’ll be active because this team needs an infusion of talent’ and oh ya, it also says ‘I’M IN CHARGE’. Let there be no doubt: Bruce is in charge AND some BIG changes (sorely needed) are coming.
But as AlteredEgo so eloquently stated: “some (money) can be freed up but this year the team is on a strict budget….Cap purgatory after Licht’s wiffs.” Thankfully as you noted Joe, “the salary cap is going up” so that’ll help considerably. But we’ve got FOUR potential mouths to feed more BEFORE we even start talking about adding FAs: (1) Jameis; (2) Donovan; (3) Hump; and (4) Kwon. The last 3 of those positions (LT, Slot WR & MLB) … whoever we sign (Jameis is already under contract) … will be costly.
And yes, we’ll save Brent Grimes salary, but that’ll hopefully be used in FA to replace him with a veteran outside CB. And we’ll save Conte’s salary (he’s a FA too), but hopefully that’ll be used in FA to replace him with a veteran Safety. And we’ll (probably) save DJax salary, but much of that will (hopefully) end up going to Humphries. Beyond that, any additional ‘savings’ will probably come from renegotiating GMC’s and Gholston’s salaries … IF they are retained at all. Yes AlterredEgo, ‘CAP purgatory’ sounds about right.
January 11th, 2019 at 6:56 pm
Were 28 out of 32 right now D-Jax GMC Is 26 million right there plus Grimes that’s 33 with just 3 players plus the 17 that’s 50 say you add unrien gohlston Dotson your over 65 we will be fine a lot of addition by subtraction an I wouldn’t mind The DT from Alabama at 5 if he’s still there Q Williams 92
January 11th, 2019 at 7:07 pm
JimmyJack Says:
January 11th, 2019 at 5:16 pm
Can’t wait to watch JPP next year. I think he can be more dominate next year. He is the Lead Dog and if he gets a lil wolf pack to join him it could be a season for the ages!!!
JPP can build this Line & Defense. He just may be our modern day Hardy Nickerson.
@JimmyJack … the realist sh!t you ever wrote!!!
January 11th, 2019 at 7:07 pm
You can replace McCoy with Grady Jarret, D. Poe or any one of the DTs in the draft.
McCoy had 17 tackles this season, he is not a threat and he can’t stop the run.
In comparison VV had 21 solo tackles in 9 games.
If you look up the stats McCoy was literally the worst 3tech in our division behind Rankins, Jarret and Short.
I hope this comment is reasonable enough.
January 11th, 2019 at 7:37 pm
I believe DJack, Grimes, McCoy, Bennoch, D Smith, Dotson, Gholston, Unrein are good as gone. Hump should definitely should be signed.
January 11th, 2019 at 8:29 pm
I think Jameis is the sole project to work on, I agree.
Softie93…… I don’t think you’re part of the plan.
Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da …….. Cutman…. Cutman.
January 11th, 2019 at 8:33 pm
Go along with TOM–those folks he mentions need to go-too lazy, too old and too injured, I would add Noah Spence to the mix too and replace them in the draft and FA, hoping the new coaches can develop some of the O-Line yungrys we have.
January 11th, 2019 at 9:20 pm
My feeling is that GMAC will restructure his contract and finish his career here. What inside knowledge do I have. None. What deep football knowledge and brilliance do I have? None.
My gut reaction and any insight I have is based on this. GMAC has put his heart and soul into the Buccaneers for nine years. He has just as good of a chance of finally appearing in a play off game here as many other places he could go.
My prediction, Arians and staff will see some value in retaining GMAC and he will stay a Buc in 2019.
_____________
Go Bucs!!!!
January 11th, 2019 at 10:06 pm
Jimmy Jack & What the Buc
Could not have said it any better! JPP is the perfect example of true professional NFL player. The last time on D we brought in A player with this kind of impact was Hardy Nickerson! He changed the culture and set an example for the then very young Sapp, Brooks, Lynch and Barber. If you want an example of culture change by a player this is it!
January 11th, 2019 at 10:15 pm
Culture change by coach you have to hand it to Dungy and Kiffin. With lots of draft help from Sam Wyche of course. Gruden also brought a system of accountability that players could take or leave but DID hold them responsible. Hard to motivate professional athletes though these days since they are millionaires from basically the time they are drafted. What does everyone everywhere want to do when they become millionaires? Quit!
January 11th, 2019 at 11:26 pm
When McCoy leaves…it’s party at Tmax’s house!
January 12th, 2019 at 3:59 am
GMaC isnt going anywhere. He will get his backend money of his contract up front in a restructure. We use to do this sort of thing all the time in the Bruce allen era I believe.
January 12th, 2019 at 4:00 am
Patrick P.
The Honey Badger
January 12th, 2019 at 11:47 am
Just ask Jameis how important it is to resign Humphrey. He accounted for over 800 yards this year and got us a lot of first downs. Keep him. Under no circumstances pay even one dollar to Turnstyle D. Smith to play LT. Offer him only a one year show me contract to play LG. He can then free up the movement of Marpet to his best position RG. We just need to get Bama or Missippi’s LT in the draft. Liedtke or BA trained Cappa can play RT. Use the second round for a DE to bolster the Wolf Pack. Let the new OLC try to teach Benenoch and if he can’t make him into a good backup cut him.
January 12th, 2019 at 12:05 pm
I would also ask the OLB coach to train Spence as an OLB and put him in on 3rd downs to rush the passer! He would be helpful on blitzes along with David on the other side. He is fast, knows plenty of moves, and can get to the QB on blitzes. Kwon can also put pressure on when we delay blitz but he needs to be trained to at last learn how to stop passes over the middle on slants—his big weakness now. If you watched how the DC for Clemson beat Bama by disguising coverages and confusing the QB to get interceptions, the Bucs were never that sophisticated or well trained but with Boles and all his Asst Coaches that could be doable for our new attacking Defense! I can’t wait! Boles took the Cardinals to the 5th best Defense in the NFL. Think how many games that could win for the Bucs alone.